rest

Jesus wants to give us rest. The world wants us to work harder. Who will we listen to?

This past week I was at a "learning community" for pastors who want to learn a new way to pastor. After hearing a local pastor speak about how he has learned to lead by practicing listening to God in all of his meetings, we were given 20 minutes of solitude to reflect on what had been shared. This was a very different learning community. It had started with a time of worship that included silence. And now instead of a time of Q&A or discussion, we were to find a place to sit with God and let him speak to us about what we had heard.

My first feeling was one of guilt and/or shame. I could hear inner voices telling me that I had time to listen to God but that's not efficient, that the leaders of Grace Community didn't have time to do things this way. So when I got back to my office I should put aside this nonsense and be productive, as would be expected of a good church leader.

And then I realized that this wasn't God's voice, it was the world's. I have a lot of things to do, but I had made time to be at this learning community. I had set other things aside so that I could hear God's voice. That wasn't something to be guilty or ashamed of.

Jesus calls me to come to him when I am weary and over-stressed. He wants to give me rest. The work of transformation in the lives of people at Grace Community is his work. If I take on his way of doing things, I will find rest for my soul. This isn't something to feel guilty about. It is a gift to receive gladly and gratefully. The world is trying to make me feel ashamed for finding rest. Jesus wants to lead me beside quiet waters and restore my soul.

Who am I going to listen to?